As we become more agile, flexible and distributed the adoption of technology will become a key part of successful workplace cultures. Companies will need to adapt their traditional methods of training, incentivising and managing staff members for the future of work.
Digital transformation
A poll by EY discovered that 69% of C-suite respondents are aware that they need to re-evaluate their digital transformation strategies or are already taking steps to change it. Human resource departments will need to adapt, HR leaders can drive change through digital transformation in a way that allows them to manage talent management, employee onboarding, appraisals and so on in the new remote and distributed way of work.
Communication
With a lack of confidence to return to workplaces due to the safety risk – communication will be fundamental. Landlords and companies will need to ensure they’re sharing with their stakeholders any processes that have been put in place to make the workplace safer.
A workplace app can be used to communicate and inform through push notifications, articles and guides – accessible to employees or tenants whether they’re on or off-site. With the future of work becoming more flexible, communication will become even more prevalent to community engagement.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing in the workplace is certainly not new, but in the wake of the pandemic it will become even more important to consider wellness initiatives to increase satisfaction, happiness and loyalty during this time of disruption. More support may be required for those that continue to work remotely, such as a dedicated ‘WFH’ chat and further thought into engaging remote teams to provide the social aspect of work culture will be key to driving a more satisfied workforce.
For many, the lockdown has been a difficult time in terms of their mental health. Not being able to see loved ones and friends, and being confined to their homes. As we come out of lockdown we may see companies offering more mental health support for employees to support this time of change and to ensure a healthy, happy and productive workforce as it becomes more flexible and distributed.
Distributed teams
As we move away from large centralised offices to distributed offices and towards higher levels of remote working, the way we work with our teams will change. Distributed teams can offer better quality talent, as companies will not be constricted to hiring by location, and will allow them to work with more agility.
Gender diversity – better or worse?
The increased flexibility could have a huge impact on women, helping to create more diversity in the workplace. As a result, we could see increased gender balance on boards, as one of the barriers women previously encountered was the lack of flexibility to accommodate family commitments.
However, on the other side of the coin research shows that higher percentages of women are in industries with the highest lay-off rates due to Covid-19 and are more likely to be in lower-ranking positions that are more expendable.
9-5 a thing of the past
With a rise in remote working, the 9-5 as we know it could be a thing of the past as we move away from traditional set-ups to more flexibility. We may see the end of presenteeism as attitudes to work change. Employees will no longer feel pressure to be present in the office to get recognition.
Flexible working is a matter of trust, and with increasing levels of trust from employers to their staff, we may see increased productivity and loyalty as a result.
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